Prime Minister's Office
English rendering of PM's address at the launch of development works in Mandya, Karnataka
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
Bharat Mata Ki Jai!
My heartfelt greetings to all the people of Karnataka!
My salutations to Tayi Bhuvaneshwari too!
I also bow down before the gurus of Adichunchanagiri and Melukote, seeking their blessings.
In the past, I have had the opportunity to visit the people in different parts of Karnataka. Everywhere, the people of Karnataka are showering unprecedented blessings. And there is sweetness in the blessings of the people of Mandya as it is called the sugar city . I am overwhelmed by this love and hospitality of Mandya. I bow down to all of you!
It is the relentless effort of the double engine government to repay the debt of your love with interest, through rapid development. The infrastructure projects worth thousands of crores of rupees, which have either been inaugurated or their foundation stones have been laid, are a part of this effort.
For the past several days, there has been a lot of discussion about the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway in the country. Pictures related to the expressway are going viral on social media. It has been the wish of every countryman and our youth that such luxurious, modern expressways are built everywhere in India. Today, seeing the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway, the youth of our country are feeling proud. With this expressway, the travel time between Mysuru and Bengaluru has now been reduced to less than half.
Today the foundation stone of the Mysuru-Kushalnagar four-lane highway has also been laid. All these projects will speed up 'sabka vikas' in this area and will pave the way for prosperity. My heartiest congratulations to all of you for these connectivity projects!
Whenever there is a discussion related to the vision of infrastructure in India, the names of two great personalities always emerge in the forefront - Krishna Raja Wadiyar and Sir M. Visvesvaraya. Both these great men were the sons of this soil and they gave a new vision and strength to the whole country. These great personalities converted disaster into an opportunity; understood the importance of infrastructure and today's generations are fortunate that they are reaping the benefits of their ancestors' penance.
Inspired by such great personalities, work is being done on modern infrastructure in the country today. Today Karnataka is changing with the Bharatmala and Sagarmala schemes. The country is also transforming. Even when the world was struggling with Corona, India increased the infrastructure budget manifold. In this year's budget, we have made a record Rs 10 lakh crore allocation for infrastructure.
Infrastructure not only brings convenience, but also employment opportunities, investments, as well as means of earning. In Karnataka alone, we have invested more than Rs 1 lakh crore in highway related projects in the past years.
Both Bengaluru and Mysuru are important cities of Karnataka. One city is known for technology, the other for tradition. Connecting these two cities with modern means of connectivity is very crucial from different points of view.
For a long time, people travelling between the two cities complained of heavy traffic. But now, because of the expressway, this distance can be covered in just 1.5 hours. Due to this, the pace of economic development in this entire region is going to be phenomenal.
This expressway is passing through Ramanagara and Mandya. There are also many historical heritage sites here. The tourism potential will increase in these cities as well. This will not only make it easier to reach Mysuru, but will also make it easier to reach Kodagu, the source of Mother Kaveri. Nowadays we see that the Bengaluru-Mangaluru road in the Western Ghats often remains closed due to landslides during the rainy season. This affects the port connectivity of the region. With the widening of the Mysuru-Kushalnagar highway, this problem will also be solved. Due to good connectivity, the industry will also expand very rapidly in this area.
Before the year 2014, the Congress government which was at the centre was a coalition government. It was running with the support of various parties. It had left no stone unturned to shatter poor people and poor families. The Congress government looted thousands of crores of money meant for the development of the poor. Congress has never bothered about the pain and suffering of the poor.
In 2014, when you gave me the opportunity to serve by voting, the government of the poor was formed in the country; a government sensitive to the pain and suffering of the poor was formed. Thereafter, the central government of BJP tried to serve the poor with complete sincerity and constantly tried to alleviate the problems faced by the poor.
The BJP government has given top priority to ensure that the poor have pucca houses, tap water in their homes, Ujjwala gas connection, electricity connection, roads to the villages, hospitals, and proper treatment.
In the last 9 years, the lives of crores of poor have become easier due to the schemes of the BJP government. During the regime of Congress, the poor had to go from pillar to post for availing facilities. Now the BJP government is reaching out to the poor and giving them the facilities. Those who are still left out of the benefits of the BJP government’s schemes are also being reached out.
The BJP government has always given importance to permanent solutions to problems. In the last 9 years, houses of more than 3 crore poor have been built in the country. Out of which lakhs of houses are also built in Karnataka. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, about 40 lakh new families have got tap water in Karnataka.
The irrigation projects which were in a limbo for decades in our country are also being completed at a fast pace. In this year's budget, the central government has announced Rs 5300 crore for the Upper Bhadra project. Besides this, there will be a permanent solution to the problems related to irrigation in a large part of Karnataka.
The BJP government is providing a permanent solution to the concerns of the farmers by solving their every minor problem. Rs 12 thousand crore have been directly transferred to the bank accounts of the farmers of Karnataka under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. The BJP government at the centre has transferred Rs 600 crore to the bank accounts of 2.75 lakh farmers of Mandya.
Also, I would like to appreciate the BJP government in Karnataka for one more thing. While the central government sends Rs 6,000 under the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi, the Karnataka government adds another Rs 4000 to it. That is, in the double engine government, farmers are getting double the benefits. Consequently, their problems are being addressed.
Our sugarcane farmers from the city of sugar Mandya, Karnataka had to face another problem for decades. If the production of sugarcane is high then it is a problem; if the production of sugarcane is less then also it is a problem. As a result, the arrears of sugarcane farmers with sugar mills continued to accrue for several years.
It was necessary to find some solution to this problem. The BJP government, which gave priority to the interests of the farmers, chose a path of ethanol. We decided to increase the production of ethanol made from sugarcane. That is, when there is more production of sugarcane, ethanol will be manufactured from it. So, the income of the farmers will be ensured by ethanol.
Last year alone, the country's sugar mills sold ethanol worth Rs 20,000 crore to oil companies. This has helped in making timely payments to the sugarcane farmers. From 2013-14 till the last season, ethanol worth Rs 70,000 crore has been purchased from sugar mills. This money has reached the sugarcane farmers.
In this year's Union Budget also, many provisions have been made for the farmers, especially for the sugarcane farmers. The sugarcane farmers are going to benefit from the Rs 10,000 crore assistance for sugar cooperatives as well as tax exemption.
Our country is the land of opportunities. People from all over the world are looking for opportunities in India. Record foreign investments flowed into India in 2022. Karnataka has benefitted the most out of it. Despite the Corona pandemic, there has been an investment of about Rs 4 lakh crore in Karnataka. This reflects the hard work of the double engine government.
Besides IT, every sector from bio-technology to defence manufacturing is expanding in Karnataka. Unprecedented investments are being made in the defence, aerospace and space sectors. Now Karnataka is also moving fast in electric vehicles manufacturing.
Amidst these efforts of the double engine government, what the Congress and its allies are doing? Congress says it is dreaming of digging Modi's grave. Congress is busy in digging Modi's grave while Modi is busy getting the Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway built. Congress is busy in digging Modi's grave while Modi is busy making life easier for the poor.
Congressmen who are dreaming of digging Modi's grave do not know that the blessings of crores of mothers-sisters-daughters of the country and the blessings of the people of the country are Modi's formidable shield.
Double engine government is necessary for the rapid development of Karnataka. I once again express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Mandya for this grand event, this grand hospitality and for your blessings. My heartiest congratulations to all of you for the development projects!
Bharat Mata ki Jai, Bharat Mata ki Jai!
Bharat Mata ki Jai, Bharat Mata ki Jai!
Thank you very much.
DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered in Hindi.